Tradition 7 – Every S.L.A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
There are two components to the seventh tradition – the more common being the monetary component. Each meeting is responsible for the regular expenses of their groups. These expenses can include the rent for the meeting space and the literature for the meeting. Meetings are provided free to all people who suffer from this addiction. Whenever the “basket is passed” members of the meeting have a chance to help support the meeting and keep it going. Contributing to the 7th tradition also helps to keep the meeting running which helps supports the 5th tradition by ensuring the meeting carries its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers. Additionally, if groups were to accept funds from outside their meetings, groups could open themselves up to the undue influence on the operation of the group and the fellowship as a whole and abrogate group’s responsibility to support their own recovery. When the expenses of our local group have been met, the remainder of the funds in the group can be used to support the service organizations that assist the groups. Intergroup provides services that individual groups would have difficulty doing by themselves such as hosting gatherings or retreats, helping to provide resources that can help other addicts find meetings, providing support for each group, etc. Fellowship Wide Services (F.W.S.) publishes the literature used by the groups, provides world-wide meeting resource information and web resources for S.L.A.A. members, and aids members with various services. The formula that has been traditionally used is that 60% of the additional group donations above and beyond the meetings’ operational expenses are sent to Intergroup and 40% is sent to F.W.S. Generally, for a meeting to build up balances is discouraged because it can lead to a temptation to “misuse” the funds.
A second function of the seventh tradition is one that isn’t normally considered, but is just as important – the service component. Service within a group can include such things as chairing a meeting, keeping the literature between meetings if a space is not available to store the materials, “keeping the key” to allow access to the meeting area, providing coffee and/or snacks if the group provides these, being treasurer or secretary or other functions. These functions are provided for by people in the meeting and help to support the local meeting. Service is important and no service is ever considered too minimal.